


Poison Ivy

by Growing_ivy_inmymind



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alluka as herself, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Assassin Killua Zoldyck, Fluff, Gon is not related to Mito, Happy Ending, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Beta Read, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Wood Spirit Gon, and I'm kinda disappointed in it, kind of, this is long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 03:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30049137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Growing_ivy_inmymind/pseuds/Growing_ivy_inmymind
Summary: As long as Killua still kills in the Zoldyck name, Killua, Alluka and Canary can go anywhere in the world. They end up on Whale Island where the invisible wood spirit, Gon, resides. Thanks to her powers, Alluka can not only see, but talk with Gon and learns that the spirit has caught the eye of Hisoka.Killua's newest contract is capture, not kill. Hisoka placed a bounty on Gon and Killua is charged with finding the wood spirit and bringing him to Hisoka. Killua tries to find a way around the contract while trying to name his growing feelings for Gon.
Relationships: Alluka Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs & Alluka Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Poison Ivy

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this doesn't have a lot of content and I don't really like it, but at the same time I do. Did I start to give up by the end? yes I did. BUT but but but that doesn't mean I don't absolutely love KilluGon + Alluka
> 
> This is the longest os I've written, I hope you all like it.
> 
> Also, there might not be a consistent writing style and I'm sorry

"I've got a job for you, Killua." The timbre of his fathers voice resounded clearly through the speakers.

Killua looked back to Alluka. She was buried in her pile of stuffed animals, almost blending in. "Alluka, come here." He held out his arms for a hug, knowing that he wouldn't be refused. Alluka practically flew out of the pile into her bothers arms. "Brother needs to go to work now, but if I ask nicely, I might be able to get you out of here."

"Then can we go to a market?" Alluka pulled back just enough to look her brother in the eyes. She had known only the inside of this room for so long, and before that she was limited to the ground of the main compound, so even things as mundane as a market were beyond exciting to her.

"We can go wherever you'd like to. But remember, I can't make it a promise, okay?" Killua ran his fingers through her hair, re-taming it from the static caused by the plush toys.

"'Kay!" It always made Killua smile when Alluka answered so similarly yet so differently than Nanika.

"Brother needs to leave now, but I'll be back soon." Killua stood up and set Alluka down on her bed before leaving the room. It broke his heart when he had to close and lock all the doors behind him. He understood why it was necessary but that didn't make it any less right. Alluka was still just a little girl. The only thing that made her different was Nanika. And even though Killua knew that neither girl had control over what would be asked of them, they didn't deserve to be treated like a monster.

Killua's mind ran as he approached his fathers door. He knew that he had nothing to offer, but he still had to try. He'd try just about anything to get Alluka out of there. Anything short of breaking her out of her cell himself. He knew that he was one of the bet fighters and killers of the Zoldyck family, but it would be only him against the rest of his family, not to mention all the staff.

He shook his head. He shouldn't be planning for last resorts, not when he hasn't attempted plan a yet.

Killua pushed open the heavy door and walked in. He's always hated this room. Ever since he was little it felt like the disembodied heads were staring into his soul. They would whisper to his father after he left, telling Silva that he wasn't one of them. That he was only there because he couldn't leave yet. They would tell him that he was slow. That he was soft. That he was playing the long con, setting the steps for his escape.

He looked to his father, lounging on the plush cushions like he always was. "Before you give me the details of the job, I have a request." Killua said stopping well out of the range of his fathers reach.

"What is it?" Silva kept his face and tone even. Killua wouldn't have been able to notice his curiosity if he wasn't looking in his eyes.

"I'm proposing a game of sorts. If I can finish this contract and enter through the testing gate by a certain time, you will have to grant my wish." Killua laid out the basic premise of what he wanted, knowing that his father would want to know more, but wanting to see how much he could get away without explaining.

"Kil, you know I need more details. About your game itself, and the wish you'd like me to grant." Silva moved from his relaxed position to one that was harder to read, but showed his intrigue.

"For the game itself, you'd be able to put whatever time constraint on it, as long as it's not unreasonable. For instance, if it'll take me two days to get there and two to get back, the time limit can't be less than ninety-four hours. You can discount time for eating and sleeping, but nothing else. The time starts as soon as I am no longer on the property, and ends as soon as I'm passed the threshold of the testing gate. If I can manage it, then you have to grant my wish. If not, my punishment is up for you to decide. However, if I fail, you cannot ban me from continuing to play this game and you cannot do anything that would affect my ability to see Alluka, or harm him in any way." Killua hated having to misgender his sister, but it was infinitely better than referring to her as an object or monster. He felt something twist in his chest every time he had to.

"Understood. And the details of the wish?"

"I get to move out, you transfer guardianship of Alluka to me and make me the sole employer to Canary. This means nobody related to or employed by the Zoldyck family can follow, track, check in on, spy, or otherwise interfere with any of us. This includes hiring people specifically or placing bounties. I will still take contracts, I will still kill who you tell me too, but me, Alluka and Canary will be off limits. If I succeed we can go over the finer details so I know that there is no way for you or anyone else to find any possible loopholes." Killua finished explaining and refused to be the first to look away. He knew that he, at some point, should consider that someone in his family would try and break this deal. He would plan on that later though, when he got back and was polishing out the agreement. "So what do you say? Do you wanna play my game?"

Silva just stared back at the young assassin. Killua refused to let the unwavering gaze unnerve him. He's been trained not to flinch at anything. And even if that was just training, with nothing more than a beating on the line, so much more was at stake now. He couldn't afford to bend or break under that deep blue gaze. "I'll play your game. But I have a condition." Silva said after smiling, something almost threatening and cold.

"A condition for the game or for my wish?" Killua knew better than not to ask. There were still too many holes in his request for his liking, but it was beyond painful to pass all those locks, doors and precautions just to see his baby sister. Hopefully Silva wouldn't poke and rip those holes wider.

"The game. With the regular standard of no witnesses in place, rather than killing the witnesses, the only casualty has to be your mark. Do you understand?" Nothing in Silva's tone, posture or eyes betrayed his thoughts, but Killua could still tell that his father thought he made the job much more difficult.

And if Killua had proposed this game just a few weeks earlier, he, Alluka and Canary would still be right where they were. As for in that moment, however, Killua's skill had progressed further than any of them knew. It would still be a challenge for him to leave no witnesses, only killing the mark, and make it back on time, but it wasn't impossible and that's all Killua had to focus on right now. "I accept."

Silva smiled and the two of them sealed the terms of the game with blood, like they did with every other promise. They might be assassins, but Silva prided himself of not breaking the promises he makes. It's that fact alone that lets Killua hope, bordering on believe, that when he eventually wins everything they discuss will be upheld.

His father set the time limit, gave him all the necessary details of the job and the folder with more information of the target. When he finally left the dark room it felt like something lifted off his chest. He wasn't out of the tunnel yet, and he still couldn't see the light at the end, but he knew that it wasn't far off anymore.

They had agreed that Zebulo would be the one to time Killua's departure and arrival since he needed to pass the guard house when going through the testing gate. They had already called ahead so the janitor knew that he was waiting for Killua to leave.

Before he did however, after he had gathered everything he would need he made sure to stop by Canary's post before he left. "Wish me luck today."

"Master Killua? Why would you need luck?" Canary asked, not moving from her stance at her vine covered gate. He knew that it was because someone was watching them, probably his mother or Illumi.

"I'm playing a game and if and when I win, father will grant my wish." He smiled and started walking backwards, hands held behind his back.

"I wish you the best of luck, Master Killua." She sounded confused but genuine. He hadn't told her about his plan, but he knew that she didn't like it very much here. Killua knew that she missed the freedom. Even though she came from a city that was more accurately classified as a trash site, she loved being able to go out to explore and wander. She loved seeing new things.

At that, Killua turned and walked to the front gate. He paused and took a deep breath before he pulled the first gate open. Killua knew that he could easily go up to gate four without trying too hard, but he needed to reserve as much energy as he could. He held the gate open for a second and made eye contact with Zebulo. The man held up an old looking stop watch and nodded that he was ready.

Killua took one last deep breath in then ran. He made it to the airport in record time and managed to get on the flight that was leaving in five minutes. He slept for most of the flight, knowing that it was the only guaranteed time that he'd have to do so if he wanted to make it back on time. The second the blimp landed Killua was racing over rooftops to the loft balcony of his target.

The penthouse of the man was in the center of downtown, and with the sun setting, there was plenty of light to see by while the light reflected off so many different buildings it made Killua invisible if the man was too look out his window.

To make his deadline with his fathers condition, Killua waited until the mark was out of sight of his body guards to strike and run. Killua waited just out of view of the body guards while they took their time realizing their boss was dead. When he knew they would find the body, he left, practically flying back to the airport.

Killua didn't see any of the landscape pass below him as he ate a snack on the airship before falling into a light sleep. He needed to focus on getting back through the testing gate before his time was up. Then he'd have time to sleep properly and fill in all the holes of his request.

_One thing at a time._

Killua heard the announcement of when they'd be landing through his nap and was instantly on high alert. He stood and was the first to be standing at the door. If he had the time to look back, Killua was sure he left a very confused steward at the door; the second the door was open enough for him to fit through he was already down the steps heading to the edge of the airport.

He didn't think about the time he had left, he just ran as fast as he could. He pushed harder than he ever had before, adrenaline adding a little extra boost. He ran up the side of the mountain, going in a straight line to save time, instead of following the winding road that went to the testing gate.

Soon enough the tall wall was within sight. He was running on the paved ground by then and he could see the guard house growing larger. Killua saw Zebulo step out and had his stopwatch ready.

Killua used his momentum to push the doors open more than his actual strength. It was almost a physical sting when he realized that he was once again standing on the property.

He turned around excitedly to watch Zebulo slowing walking up to him. The janitor's face was blank and he was just staring at the little stopwatch. When he was standing in front of Killua he lifted the timer to let Killua see his time and when he did, Killua fell to the ground.

"Congratulation, Master Killua." The old man smiled.

He nudged Killua's legs out of the way and the doors fell shut again, leaving Killua lying in the dirt in utter disbelief. Killua had made his time, but just barely; if he had been one one hundredth of a second slower, he would have had to try again on the next job. But he made it. He had made his fathers deadline and he and the two most important people in his life could finally get out of here.

He wanted to smile and dance around like an idiot, but he had new concerns to think about. Killua still needed to plan and put into writing all the details of his request. If anything is left unspecified, someone will find that hole and the three of them wouldn't be safe anywhere.

His breathing finally normalized so Killua sat up and made his way to Canary's post to give her the good news.

Killua knew that he had an amazing poker face when he chose to use it, but with something this important, he didn't care. As soon as Canary was in sight, Killua couldn't keep the smile from his face.

"Master Killua, was your mission a success?" Canary asked, bowing in greeting.

"And then some!" Killua couldn't, and didn't want to, stop the small laugh that he let out. "We're getting out of here!" He whisper-spoke, like he was sharing a secret that didn't matter if anyone else heard. Because now it really didn't matter. He had made the deadline and anyone who didn't know know, would know soon enough.

"I don't understand." She pushed hair out of the way that had blown into her face with the breeze.

"You, me and Alluka are getting out of here. I still need to write up and flesh out the contract, but after that, the three of us can go wherever we want to." Killua was close to bursting with happiness. This was everything he wanted. And it was so close to coming true on his first try. The only thing he imagined would make him feel better than he does right in this moment was taking Alluka anywhere and everywhere she wanted to go. Seeing the smile on her face.

Canary looked skeptical. She wanted to believe what Killua was saying, but what he was saying sounded impossible. She didn't want to hope. Didn't want to be disappointed.

He understood the look on her face and pulled back his joy. "It's okay. You'll understand in a few days." Killua could feel eyes on him so he resisted the urge to hug his only friend, despite her understandable reluctance to admit that they were friends. Instead he tapped her shoulder as he passed, finally heading to the house.

The first thing he needed to do when he was finally in his room again was eat and get some more sleep than he did on the ride back to the island. Now that the adrenaline rush from his hurry to get back to the compound, and flood of euphoria of making it back on time had disappeared from his system, he was exhausted. Going a whole week with only a total three hours of sleep wasn't the longest he'd gone, but it was the most emotionally taxing week he'd been through in a while. That sit in his body differently than just physical exhaustion.

Killua woke the next day and instantly got started on the contract. He thought of every loophole that could be exploited, planned for every contingency. As Killua was writing the last line he couldn't stop smiling; if any of his conditions were broken, all contact would be broken, including the information stream where Silva would be sending Killua's jobs through.

When Silva read through it his frown deepened. He was counting on Killua to leave holes, but everything was addressed and Silva couldn't risk losing his best assassin.

Killua had made five copies for them to sign, and watched with rising glee as Silva scribbled his signature and pressed a bloody thumb print onto the papers.

"Killua, I want you to promise me something." Silva said, taking his copy of the contract. "Promise you won't abuse the freedom you now have, and don't misuse Alluka's power."

"This freedom isn't for just me. It's for Alluka and Canary too. And abusing Alluka and her power is something I have never done, I can't say the same for you and the rest of the family." Killua walked to his room to grab his already packed bag and skateboard.

He grabbed the empty bag from under his bed and walked through Alluka's security system and pushed open his door.

"Brother! You're back!" Alluka launched herself at Killua and he spun her around until she was laughing.

"I'll always come back to you." He smiled and set her down. "Now, I need your help with something."

"'Kay! But why do you have an empty bag?"

"That's what I need your help with. I need you to fill it up with your favorite clothes, and maybe a few toys. Can you do that?" Her smile was contagious as she ran off to get her things together. Amazingly, Alluka only grabbed one of her stuffed animals, without taking much time to think about which one she wanted. "Why'd you choose that one?"

"Because, you got it for me." Alluka hugged it tightly to her chest one more time before gently placing it on top of her clothes in the bag.

"Is that everything? Nothing else you need or want? I might have some room in my bag." Killua asked zipping up the bag and hoisting it up onto his shoulder.

"That's everything, brother! Where are we going?" She grabbed onto Killua's arm and walked slightly behind him as they made their way down the long empty hall.

"First, we're going to stop by the butler's house and get Canary. She's coming with us. Next, we're getting off this island and no one will be able to follow us."

"No one will follow?"

"If they do, I won't take jobs for them anymore. And father values my skills too much to let that happen."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Kil." Milluki said, appearing from the shadows behind them. "Yes, you're valuable. But everyone's _vastly_ overestimating your abilities; you included."

"Even so, I won't need to risk running into your ugly ass whenever I'm in between jobs, _Piggy_." Killua faced forward and started walking again. "Come on Alluka, let's go get Canary."

"'Kay!" Killua held Alluka's hand a little tighter as they walked through the rest of the dark halls and outside. As soon as the front doors were shut behind them Alluka started giggling. The sun was shining brightly from the horizon and a slight breeze was pulling at her hair and dress. "I like it outside." She said when the main house was out of sight.

"Once we're gone from here, we never need to go inside ever again if you don't want to." Killua looked up from his sisters smile and saw Canary standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the butlers house. He waved to her and was happy to see her smile and relax a little. "Cousin Canary! We get to go on adventure now! Are you excited."

"I am, Master Alluka, Master Killua." Canary agreed, bowing. Now that they were closer, Killua could see how tight her smile was and he couldn't blame her. At least three people were watching them, and while Killua was the only one holding her contract, she was still technically an employee. "Allow me to take your bags." She said reaching forward.

Killua handed her Alluka's bag but held onto his own. "Thank you, but I don't want you weighed down too much. Now, let's get out of here."

"Of course." Canary grabbed her own bag and they made their way to the Testing Gate.

Killua pushed the heavy door open and Alluka ran in front of them. She stretched her arms out and spun in a circle, laughing at the sky.

The sun was setting and they had to get to the docks before all the light was completely gone.

Killua was a little worried at first that Alluka wouldn't be able to keep up with his and Canary's brisk pace, but she had no trouble and never stopped smiling. She would go from dancing around them to running a little ways ahead and looking at all the life on the mountain side.

The three of them made it to the docks by the time the street lamps were turned on. Killua got them there tickets and they waited for the ship to come in and be ready to board.

"Brother, where are we going?"

"I can't tell you that yet, but I promise you'll love it there." Killua brushed his finger through her hair. She had gotten a few leaves in it when she was running through the trees.

"Master Killua." Canary warned. She hadn't said much since they left the mountain and he couldn't blame her.

"I know, I feel it too." They were still being watched. Killua would overlook that just this once because he didn't actually say goodbye to anyone. He just left and while he didn't regret it, he knew his mother and Illumi would have tried to talk him out of it and that was something he couldn't risk. "If it continues once we're out of sight of land then can you take a look around?"

"Of course." Canary grabbed her and Alluka's bags and they all boarded the ship. Killua had managed to get them a private cabin, so the three of them made themselves comfortable and Alluka fell asleep almost immediately. "It was a long day for her." She whispered as she carded her fingers through Alluka's hair.

"It was her first day out in years. I'd be surprised if it wasn't a bit of an overload." Killua smiled at the two girls sitting on the large bed. The two of them agreed that they would take turns on watch, since there was only one bed and they were still too close to the Zoldyck family influence to get careless. Killua strained his ears to hear if anyone was trying to listen in on them. Only when he knew they could speak freely did he open his mouth again. "The tickets I bought can take us all the way to the Republics of Gorteao but we're getting off somewhere before that. I haven't figured out where yet, but when I do, will you take it the wrong way if I don't tell you?"

"I'd be slightly more offended if you _did_ tell me rather than not." Canary smiled for the first time Killua had seen in years. This was a real smile and it made her seem her age.

"Alright. Get some sleep. We have a long ways to go and Alluka will want to explore the ship tomorrow."

By the end of the next week, there wasn't a single place on that ship that hadn't been explored. The feeling of being watched didn't leave, exactly. It shifted. The gaze from port felt heavier, the stares they got on the ship were from older couples and new parents wondering why three kids who looked nothing alike were running around unsupervised.

About three weeks in, after sweet talking the captain failed, Killua stole the exact route the ship was taking to get to the south. There were plenty of small islands where they would dock to trade passengers and resupply. They would get off anywhere along the way and just go from there. It was a nice change.

When they weren't exploring, and after they had finished, Alluka would only go inside to sleep or when the rain was coming down too hard. Killua had never seen her this happy. Canary, too, was looking more relaxed and genuinely smiling more.

The first five islands were a bust. There was something about them that at least one of them didn't like. The sixth island they all had a good feeling about.

Whale Island was small. The only other people getting off were people looking for work. And there seemed to be plenty of opportunity fishing or sorting the catches. The three of them got a few more strange looks when they separated from the group and started wandering around.

After some asking around, Killua was told that there was a house on the top of the mountain that had more rooms than tenants. The woman living there had no one aside from her grandmother.

Alluka didn't want to go there right away. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, pulling on Killua's arm, begging him to take her around the market.

It was early in the day so they weren't in a rush to find the woman's house.

"You two go ahead. I'll watch our stuff." Canary said, setting the bags down and sat, leaning against the wall.

"Are you sure?" Killua set his own duffle bag down with his skateboard.

"I'm sure. I want to people watch for a while." She looked a little tired. Killua sometimes forgot that she had to unlearn sociability when she started working as a butler.

"Okay. We'll be back eventually." Killua let Alluka drag him down the walk to the little market that was set up.

She dragged him from stall to stall, admiring everything; even the things that usually weren't something people admired. Alluka spent more time looking at the fabrics and shiny things than she did anything else. One jewelry stall caught her eye. An old woman was sitting twirling wires around polished stones and gems. Her fingers knew what they were doing, even as the old woman watched Alluka's enraptured attention.

"Morning, little miss. Do you see anything you like?"

Alluka tore her eyes away from the woman's fingers and looked at her face. For a minute her face was totally blank, the old woman was smiling sweetly at her, patiently waiting for her answer.

But rather than giving one, Alluka started crying. Alligator tears rolled down her cheeks and she started hiccupping, gripping Killua's hand.

Alarm and concern over took the woman's face. "Is she okay?" She asked looking to Killua.

He nodded to the jeweler and knelt on the ground in front of Alluka. "Hey, there's no reason to be crying." He muttered reassuringly, wiping the steady stream of tears.

With permission from the old lady, Killua sat Alluka down in the back of her booth. Eventually, Alluka stopped crying. She drank from the water bottle the woman had given to them.

"Did I say or do something that offended her?" The woman asked when the two of them walked back to the front of her booth and were browsing the jewelry she was selling.

"Alluka, you can answer her. No one's going to send you away, I won't let them." Killua prompted when Alluka tried to hide behind him again. He held her hand tighter and pulled her to be standing next to him.

"No one has called me a girl, except Brother and Cousin Canary. Thank you!" Alluka bowed and then stood just behind Killua again.

The woman's expression went from confused to shocked to kind and motherly. A soft smile made its way onto her face and she picked up the necklace that Alluka had kept looking back to. "Welcome to Whale Island. You'll find that the people here are very accepting, more so than in other places. I hope you like it here." She said, clasping the necklace around Alluka's neck.

Alluka smiled wider than Killua had seem so far and it made him smile too. "Come on Alluka, Canary is probably getting lonely. Let's go show her your new necklace." Killua gently tugged her back the way they had come from. Most of the stalls were closing and being backed away, there wouldn't be much more for them to look at. And it would be kind of rude to wait till night fall to ask a stranger if they could stay the night.

"Cousin Canary! Look at my new necklace!" Alluka ran over to where Canary was sitting and held the jewel in her hand to show it off.

"It's very pretty." She agreed. "Did you have fun looking around?"

"Yes, yes!" Anything else Alluka was going to say was cut off by her stomach grumbling. "I'm hungry."

"Let's head up to the house and see if we can stay, or at least get a meal." Killua said picking up his stuff. The three of them gathered the rest of their belongings and made their way up the road to the house at the top of the island.

Even from a distance, Killua could tell the house was big. There was laundry drying on the clothes lines next to the house, billowing in the breeze. He couldn't see anyone moving in the house but that didn't worry or surprise him.

Alluka ran to the planter box full of flowers and just looked and smelled them while Killua and Canary walked up the steps to knock on the door.

"Coming!" Someone shouted from inside, her voice muffled through the door. The sun bleached wood opened and standing in front of them was a woman with bright red hair. "Hi! What can I do for you?" She sounded surprised to see three little kids standing in her yard. She wiped her hands dry on her apron, and that's when Killua could smell some kind of stew.

"We just got off the boat and we were wondering if we could trouble you for a room tonight?" Canary asked politely, bordering on cordial.

"Of course! Come in, I just finished making supper." Once she knew why they were there all the suspicion melted away and she seemed happy to have guests. "My name is Mito."

"I'm Killua, this is Canary, and that's my sister Alluka." Killua introduced them before calling Alluka over from the garden. The three of them followed Mito inside and took off their shoes at the door. Mito gave them all slippers and lead them to the dining room.

Already sitting at the table was an old woman. "This is my grandmother. I'll be right back."

"You can call me nana."

She left the room and nana started a conversation that was mostly with Canary, but occasionally Killua pitched in while they waited for Mito to return.

"We're sorry for just barging in." Canary said when Mito was back and portioning their dinner into bowls.

"It's really no problem. This house is too big for just the two of us and I always make too much food. It'll be a nice change to have guests." Mito said sitting down and folding her hands.

Alluka and Canary followed her lead, closing their eyes and bowing their heads in grace. Killua watched, mildly bewildered.

The food was delicious and passed with pleasant conversation. Mito and Nana never once asked about anything beyond their days on the ship, not asking for anything they wouldn't want to give. Killua noticed the deliberate avoidance and he was grateful, he didn't want to lie to them, but he also didn't feel comfortable telling the truth. Yet.

Canary helped Nana wash and dry the dishes, Killua was tasked with putting them away, and Alluka followed Mito to gather the clean sheets.

"You three are welcome to stay as long as you need." Nana said while Mito was upstairs making up their beds. "It's nice to have company up here."

"We don't want to impose." Canary knew that it would be pointless to deny the invitation, they all knew it, but it was still the polite thing to do.

"I insist. Mito won't say it but she's lonely and everyone in town already has a place to stay. You kids would help keep her busy." She persuaded.

"Well, we didn't really plan far enough ahead for a more permanent place to stay, so, thank you. We'd be happy to stay. And we don't mind helping out around here either." Killua made a noise at Canary's words but she just elbowed him and smiled sweetly.

Mito had put Canary in a room with Alluka, while Killua's room was just across the hall. "I'm assuming my mother asked you to stay?" She asked Killua as he was settling into the room. The girls were already sleeping across the hall.

"Yes." Killua sat cross legged on the bed, watching as Mito leaned against the doorframe.

"Is your sister alright? She got a little overwhelmed while we were getting the laundry." Mito looked concerned.

"Yeah, she's fine." Killua knew that Mito wanted more than that, he stalled for a second by getting comfortable leaning back on his hands. "The place we left, wasn't the best for any of us, but especially her. Alluka was more or less confined to her room and I was the only one who showed her basic human decency. She's just not used to being treated as a human." That was probably too much information, but he couldn't take it back so he wouldn't regret it. He liked Mito.

A sad looked passed over Mito's face. "You've had a long day, get some sleep. I have a feeling Alluka will want to go exploring tomorrow."

"You're probably right." Killua said settling on the bed but not getting under the covers. He liked this island, he liked this house and he liked Mito and Nana, but there was something pulling at the back of his mind. Something he couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

Mito walked into the room and kissed the top of his head. "Goodnight Killua. Try and get some sleep."

Killua was proud to say he managed to act normal until the door was shut. Afterwards, though, his brain started to fizz. It would be a stretch to say that he had been shown motherly affection before...or any kind of affection for that matter. He liked it but didn't know how to handle or respond to it.

Rather than let his approaching headache take root, Killua got up and jumped from the window. He landed without a sound and started running.

The island flew by in a blur of greens and blacks, illuminated by the half moon. Killua didn't stop running until the moon was at its highest point in the sky. When he did finally stop, his head was silent and it was easier to breathe.

Killua looked around to see where his feet had taken him. He was standing on a cliff high above water. There was so much life around him, even in the middle of the night, and he felt out of place. Killua brought death; it followed him wherever he went. And Mito was good to them; they were all strange kids to her, she had no reason for taking them in like she did.

The noise was back in Killua's head and he couldn't ignore it. He sat on the edge of the cliff, his feet hanging over the edge, and tried to empty his head. He took deep breaths and focused on a single leaf of the giant tree growing out of the water in front of him, everything to ground him in the physical.

When Killua was sure he had a handle on his thoughts, he started heading back to the house. The sun was coloring the horizon a greyish purple color and the breeze was promising a warm day. Perfect weather to properly explore the forest with Alluka.

As he was walking back to Mito's house, Killua felt that pulling sensation again. If it was more urgent or heavier, it would have felt like someone was watching him, but it was too gentle for that so Killua brushed it off.

He jumped back into his room and settled into the bed. He didn't sleep, but he did feel more relaxed than when he left hours before.

The morning passed in a rush but it was peaceful at the same time. Mito made them breakfast with strawberries and razzberries from her garden that had Alluka practically drooling, before sending them off with a packed lunch.

Alluka lead Canary and Killua to the forest without stopping until they couldn't see the house by looking back through the trees. Only then did she start her wandering exploration. She smelled every flower and touched every fallen leaf she could see. Canary kept pace with her, telling her stories and playing games while Killua followed silently behind them. Never once did the smiles leave any of their faces.

It was nice.

As they were exploring that strange presence came back. It wasn't malicious or dangerous so Canary and Killua elected to ignore it. They stopped for lunch in a open field and lied out on the grass, soaking up the sunlight at Alluka's insistence.

"Brother! Brother! There's magic around us!" Alluka shouted as they were leaving the glade. She stood and looked back at the empty clearing, smiling at one spot. She waved to the clearing and then lead them further into the forest.

Canary looked at Killua, slightly concerned, but didn't' say anything. Alluka was special, had special abilities, if she could see things that they couldn't, there was nothing to be done. She had good and bad feelings about places and people, the first two islands they had stopped at had been refused because of those feelings, and she had yet to be wrong.

Once they figured out a more permanent place to stay and Killua started working again, Canary was going to teach Alluka some of the basics, like feeling stares and the basic self defense moves, in case they weren't around to protect her.

That thought gave Killua a spike of anxiety. If he had his way, he'd never be out of eye sight of Alluka until she learned how to control her powers and say no to people she got bad feelings about. But he knew that was unrealistic and unreasonable. They best he could do was prepare her to be on her own.

The rest of the afternoon was spent running through the forest and playing in a creek they came across. Occasionally, Alluka would look around, or smile into the woods or wave to where no one was, and was both normal and concerning.

"Brother, he wants to say hi to you." Alluka said, falling asleep on Killua's back. The sun was setting and Alluka was being carried back to Mito's house.

"Who wants to say hi?" Canary asked, holding the basket that started out containing their lunch but now was used to hold the flowers and wild berried they collected while exploring.

"The boy in the trees. He's nice." Alluka mumbled.

Canary looked around them but couldn't see anyone in the trees.

"We'll say hi to him tomorrow." Killua promised.

"He doesn't want you to be sad." The youngest finally fell asleep with those haunting words. They rolled around in Killua's head for longer than they should have.

"Did you have fun today?" Mito asked as they took off their muddy shoes in the doorway.

"Yeah. The island is much bigger than it looks." Killua said, deciding they shouldn't worry or scare Mito with Alluka's ghost boy.

Killua passed Alluka over to Canary and watched as they went upstairs to take a bath. "Mito?"

"What is it Killua?" Mito hummed as she unloaded the basket and put the flowers in a vase.

"How long can we stay here?" There was probably a more polite way to ask that, but Canary was the tactful one, Killua just spoke easy and straight forward.

"As long as you want to." Mito saw his confused and slightly incredulous look. "I mean it. I love my grandmother, and enjoy going to the village, but this house is too big. The island doesn't get enough visitors for me to turn it into some kind of hotel and I like the company. So you really can stay as long as you want to."

"Okay. I'm gonna be looking into other places for us to stay, but I won't look for anything immediate or permanent just yet." Killua promised as he went to wash his hands.

Soon everyone had gone to bed and Killua was staring at his ceiling, his mind running. He knew that Mito probably meant what she said about them staying as long as they needed and wanted, but he still didn't want to risk pushing their luck. And Killua didn't know how he would explain why he, a twelve year old kid, had to get on a ship every so often to go work and not explain what he was doing. There would be a point where the politeness wore off and Mito and Nana would demand some kind of answer.

As much as he tried, Killua couldn't calm his mind, so he grabbed his shoes and jumped from his window. He walked back to the cliff he found the night before. They hadn't visited this spot during the day, and now Killua kind of didn't want this place to be anyone's but his.

He breathed deeply and looked up at the clear night sky. The stars shone brightly and the moon slowly moved across the sky. Before he knew it dawn was breaking and that light, almost imperceptible gaze was on him again. It followed him as he walked back through the trees to Mito's house. He'd ask her about it at breakfast. Without implicating Alluka.

"Brother, Cousin Canary braided my hair! Do you like it!" Alluka ran downstairs as Killua walked through the front door. She stood in front of him and turned so her twin braids were easier for him to see.

Killua smiled and grabbed one, pulling lightly. "They're beautiful." Alluka giggled.

"I like it here, Brother." She said softly. "And I like the boy in the woods. He's nice to me."

"Do you want to go see him again today?"

"Can we!" Alluka shouted as she started jumping up and down.

"Only if you eat all your breakfast."

Without another word, Alluka raced to the dining room and started eating the food Mito set in front of her. When they were all done, Alluka helped her put all the dishes in the sink. "Thank you, Auntie Mito!"

The glass in Mito's hand slipped into the sink with a sharp clatter, but not breaking. "Of course, dear. Go enjoy the forest." She shooed them out the door with another pack lunch and the berries they had collected the day before.

"You guys go, I'm going to stay here today." Canary said, staying in the door way.

"You can find us if you need us." Killua confirmed before letting Alluka pull him back into the trees.

"Brother, he wants to know why you come out here at night, instead of sleeping." Alluka said after a while. She was watching a sapling with interest.

"Who wants to know?" Killua followed his sisters stare, but couldn't see or hear any other people but them.

"The spirit. He saw you going back to the house this morning. He's curious and wants to know why you don't sleep." Alluka slowly looked back to her brother. "Are you not sleeping?"

"I'm not, but it's okay." Killua assured her. "I just have some things on my mind."

Alluka looked back and just watched the tree with a laser focus he didn't know she was capable of.

It was well into the afternoon when Alluka started moving again. Killua managed to take a light nap, staying aware enough to know if anyone was approaching them. She lead the way, saying she was following the spirit to his favorite spot.

"Does your friend have a name?" Killua asked at one point.

Alluka waited a minute before answering for the spirit. "He does, but he won't tell me yet. He wants you to be the first person to know it. Brother, carry me."

It was her first request in a while, she hadn't demanded anything since before she got out of her room. Killua hoped that meant she was getting a hold of her powers. Killua obliged and lifted her onto his shoulders. He was glad she wasn't being misused anymore.

"Brother, run." Alluka ordered, pointing to the right.

Killua did as he was told and began running through the woods. He jumped from log to log, making Alluka laugh with every landing.

"Brother, climb." She pointed at the large tree just in front of them.

He readjusted Alluka and started climbing to the top of the tree. When they were sitting in the top most branches, Nanika came out.

"Killua!" She cheered, wrapping her arms around Killua's middle.

"Hello Nanika. I want a flower crown." Killua requested and felt as it appeared on his head.

"'Kay!"

"Be good Nanika. I'll see you later." And those haunting black eyes were replaced with Alluka's beautiful blue. "Are you ready to go back down?"

"'Kay!" As soon as their feet were back on the ground, Alluka ran off, seemingly following someone. Her pace was determined and wove through the trees. "Brother, he wants me to show you."

Killua followed her wordlessly until she eventually stopped in front of the sapling from earlier.

"This tree is special." She whispered, reaching for, but not touching the budding flowers and quivering leaves. "Promise me you won't let anyone harm him."

"I promise." He might not have been able to keep up with Alluka's sporadic half conversation, and he didn't fully understand what he was promising, but as soon as he said the words, he knew he wouldn't break his promise. "Come on, it's getting late, we should head back to Mito's."

That night for dinner, Mito made ham with a large vegetable platter. She would smile every time Alluka called her _Aunt_ Mito.

Killua managed to sleep that night, dreamless blackness. When he woke up, he felt rested for the first time in a long while. The peaceful gaze was constant now, but Killua didn't find himself worried about it. Alluka said there was a spirit that wanted to meet him, and if his sister liked this spirit, he couldn't be very dangerous.

"Mito, do you know about any stories about spirits living in the forest?" Killua asked, watching as she prepared their lunch for the day.

"From what I've heard, mostly drunk sailors getting lost and saying they see a small boy running through the woods. No one believes them." Mito explained.

Killua hummed, they probably did see him, but being drunk added to the ridiculousness of the story. He hoped he wouldn't need to get drunk to be able to see him. Killua had to admit, his curiosity was peaked.

"Brother, I want to go find the nice lady from the first day and give her this crown." Alluka skipped into the room holding up a crown made of daisies and dandelions.

"No forest today?"

"No. He said it wouldn't be good for us to go today. I agree. Someone mean is going to be there today." Alluka looked distracted then smiled like she never said anything passed her refusal.

"Alright, no forest today." Killua helped Alluka put her shoes on and they went down to the market, looking for the jewelry stall from the first day they arrived.

"I made you this!" Alluka said when she finally found the woman's booth. "Thank you for giving me this necklace, it makes my friend happy. It makes me happy too." She passed over the flower crown and smiled so wide her eyes shut when the old woman put the crown on.

"Thank you dear. It's beautiful. And I'm glad you and your friend like you new necklace."

Alluka nodded and then pulled Killua back to Mito's house.

"You didn't want to explore the market more?" Killua asked as they made their way up the hill.

"No. Something bad is coming today. We shouldn't stay here too long." Alluka explained not slowing her pace.

"Something bad?" Killua was immediately on high alert. He was looking around them and trying to pick out any hostility or ill intent.

"He's not here yet, but he will be soon. He said not to be outside, and I agree with him." Killua let Alluka pull him all the way back to Mito's house.

"You two are back early." Canary pointed out from where she was reading a book on the porch.

"We need to stay inside today." Alluka insisted, grabbing Canary's arm and pulling her inside too. "Auntie Mito, don't go into town today."

Mito looked surprised at Alluka's order, but when she saw the seriousness of their faces she agreed. "I was planning to get some spices that I can't grow, but it can wait till tomorrow."

When she had gotten everyone's agreement that they wouldn't go outside, Alluka relaxed and started playing games with Canary. Her urgency, all but forgotten as she laughed.

"Killua, can I have a word with you?" Mito asked, nodding toward the kitchen.

Instead of answering Killua just moved into the other room and leaned against the counter, trying not to looked troubled.

"Can you explain what Alluka was talking about?" She was concerned.

"Alluka is special. She gets feelings and they haven't been wrong so far. She said something bad was coming today and we all needed to stay inside. Said it wasn't going to be safe out there today." Killua paused, debating if he should also try explaining Alluka's spirit friend. He decided against it for now. "One of the reasons she wasn't allowed out of her room. She would start spouting what everyone else thought as nonsense. But then her feelings were proved right and our family started using that, among other things." Killua looked up from the floor, eyeing Mito to see how she processed the information.

Killua was expecting a lot of things, but anger wasn't one of them. He was expecting greed, and fear, and worry, but not anger. "Has she ever been wrong before?"

"No."

"Alright." Silence fell over the two of them, broken only be the muffled sound of laughter from the other rooms.

"Mito, I'm going to have to start working again soon. When I do, is it still okay that Canary and Alluka stay here while I'm away?"

Again, he was expecting to see certain things, and none of them where what he saw. She was angry again, and confused and concerned. She was curious, but Killua could tell that she wasn't going to press for information. "Of course. The three of you are welcome here as long as you like." Mito walked forward and wrapped Killua in a warm hug.

It was a simple act, normal, something that every mother should do with their child when they were having a rough day. But it felt so warm and kind Killua felt his eyes sting. He turned his head so his face was buried in Mito's apron and hugged her tightly in return. She didn't say anything, just let him silently cry at the simple display of affection.

She was angry again. They were only kids. One of them was confined to their room for who knew how long, one was worked beyond the limits any child should be, ignoring the fact that they were children who were working, and one started crying at a simple hug. Whoever made these kids the way they were didn't deserve to be called parents or family anymore. Mito was glad fate had brought them to her.

When Killua finally pulled away, he showed no signs that he had been crying. He went up to his room and shut the door. His bag was still packed and buried in his clothes was the phone he'd be using to receive jobs from his father.

He shouldn't have been surprised to see he already had something waiting for him in his inbox. He sighed and opened the information packet. It was a simple assassination hit. And his father was kind enough to clarify that all rules of Killua's game were no longer applied and the time limit was removed.

That would make things easier.

He learned what he needed and packed his backpack. Killua went downstairs and watched Canary teaching Alluka how to read bigger words. He only stepped forward when they paused. "I have to go to work, Alluka. Will you be alright without me for a few days?"

"Brother, no. It's a bad day outside." She stood and marched over to him. "You said you wouldn't go outside today."

"I know, but father gave me a job and if I don't do it, then we might not be able to stay here anymore." He didn't know how else to explain it to her, and he hated that he had to explain it at all, but it was true.

"Promise me you'll come back."

"I'll always come back for you." He promised. Killua hugged her and turned his attention to Canary. "You know where I'm hiding the extra contacts?" While they were on the ship, Killua had given one to Canary for safe keeping, and so she could know if and when any of the conditions were broken. She nodded. "I want you to give one to Mito and tell her to hide it once she finishes reading it. I should be back by the end of the week."

Killua pried himself out of Alluka grasp and headed for the door. He walked down the road to the dock and was glad there was a ship already docked, in the process of unloading passengers.

He watched as the people getting off split into groups. One person caught his eye, and probably everyone else's. He had bright pink hair and was giving off an ominous aura. He was probably the bad feeling that Alluka and her friend were saying would be on the island today.

Killua walked into town, aware of the man's presence. He didn't seem to care about anyone around him, he just started walking towards the forest, looking bored.

After making a deal with the captain, Killua boarded and hid away in the cargo hold between crates of goods that were being transported to his destination.

He hoped this job was as easy as his father made it seem, that way he could be done earlier and get back to Alluka and Canary and Mito.

The only thing that went according to plan was the boat ride. Everything else started falling to pieces practically as soon as Killua stepped foot on land.

He made it about a block inland before he was stopped by the police. They were easy to avoid, having nothing and no one who could keep up with his speed. The mark apparently knew that someone was going to target him and hired extra muscle, in addition to his own regular security.

It took him two days longer than it normally would have, but that was mostly because Killua didn't like killing, and tried to only kill who he had to. So if waiting two days until he had a clean shot at the target, without collateral damaged, and subsequently making it harder to track where Killua was staying, then who was he to be displeased with how long he was away?

Back at Whale Island, Alluka, Canary and Mito were all waiting for him at the dock. He smiled and waved as he approached them. Alluka ran and hugged him, Canary smiled and nodded back, Mito just watched, her face unreadable. She followed behind them silently as they all made their way back to Mito's house.

Killua went to his room and was unpacking his bag when Mito walked in and closed the door behind her. He didn't say anything, just watched as she crossed the room and sat on the bed.

She didn't say anything at first, just stared at her lap, thinking about the best way to start. "Are you okay?"

The question threw Killua. He more or less told her that he killed people for a living and she was asking him if he was okay? "What do you mean?"

This made Mito look up. "Do you want to be doing that for them?" It was all the clarification she could do without going into a very passionate, very adult, rant about the Zoldyck family.

"No. I don't. But I don't have much of a choice. You read the contract, so you know if I stop working first, Alluka, Canary and I are fair game to them. Everything that made us untouchable before we left is null. This was the best compromise I could think of." Killua explained. "Besides, it's only a matter of time before my mother sends someone to check on us and as soon as that happens, then we can fully cut ourselves off."

"But are you okay?" Mito insisted, giving any indication she heard the majority of Killua's explanation.

"Yes?"

"Not physically."

Oh. "No, but I can handle-" Mito was now kneeling on the floor, pulling Killua into another hug.

"Please, stay here." She begged.

"Okay." They sat like that for a few more minutes before Mito went down stairs to make dinner. Alluka came in as Killua checked that he got the rest of the payment. "What did you and Canary do while I was a way?"

"Mostly went to see my friend." Alluka sat next to Killua on the floor, leaning against the bed.

"After I left did the bad go away?"

"Yes." A troubled look covered Alluka's face. "He almost hurt him, Brother. The bad man started hurting my friend, saying he was almost ready. Brother, I'm worried about him."

"We'll go see him tomorrow, okay?"

Mito called them down for dinner. "'Kay!"

That night, Killua couldn't sleep. His mind was still running. Mito wasn't disgusted with him and what he did. She wanted them to stay with her. And he felt safe enough here to do so.

There was also what Alluka said about her spirit friend almost getting hurt by the bad man, saying he was almost ready. That couldn't have been good.

Killua felt restless. He couldn't sleep and it felt like the walls of his room were starting to close in on him. So he got up and went to the forest. He found the sapling that Alluka said was special and sat at the base of it.

As soon as he sat down Killua felt a wave of peace wash over him. He felt protected here. "Are you there?" Without Alluka there, there was no way for Killua to know for sure if he was there and if he was trying to speak with him. A breeze blew through Killua' s hair, pulling at his clothes. It could have been a coincidence but Killua took it as a sign. "I'm happy that Alluka made a friend, even if you are invisible. Thank you."

Killua didn't even know why he was trying to talk to him, but it settled his mind a little bit. "I wish I could see you." Killua didn't know why he said it aloud, didn't know why he even thought it. Yes, he was curious to know if the spirit was real or just a friend Alluka made up, but not to the point where he would say something like that out loud. What surprised him even more was how much he meant it. He really did want to see the boy.

He closed his eyes and felt himself relax. Another breeze was tugging at him but it felt more like an agreement than anything else. Sitting beneath the sapling Killua felt his mind settle.

Killua dozed off for a few hours and woke up to rain drops falling on him. The trees did a good job at shielding him from the water, but not from all of it. Killua stood and stretched. "Next time I see Nanika I'll ask to be able to see and talk to you."

He ran back to the house and was surprised to see Mito sitting at the dining table. There was only a small candle to light the room.

"Does what I do bother you?" Killua asked. As soon as he saw her he froze. His feet were stuck to the floor and he couldn't make himself look at her.

"Of course it does." Killua flinched at the harshness of her voice. "But not for the reason you think. There are better ways to deal with irritating people and petty feelings than asking someone to kill someone else but it's up for each person to decide if they want that on their conscious. What bothers me is that you're the one being asked to do that. You're twelve years old. You should be having fun, playing freely, getting hurt, learning who you are, what you want to do in the future, making friends. Not working and killing." Killua finally looked up and was surprised to see the tears running down her face. "Is there any other way for you to fully get out?" She sounded almost desperate.

"No, there's not." Killua's feet finally unstuck themselves and moved him to the seat right next to Mito. He sat down and leaned his head on Mito's shoulder. "It's only a matter of time before they break their end of the deal. I feel like it'll be sooner than later."

They sat in silence after that, neither tired anymore. They sat until morning.

As soon as Alluka was up, she raced down stairs and begged to go see the spirit. She didn't care that it was raining. The opposite actually, she was excited to see the forest during the rainfall.

"Aunt Mito can we please go?" She begged.

"Only for a little bit. I don't want you getting sick." She sighed. She couldn't say no when Alluka was looking so excited and hopeful.

Alluka ran forward and hugged her before running off to put her boots on. Canary joined them that morning. She said she had a weird feeling about the day, but assured them it wasn't something to worry about.

The three kids laughed as they ran through the rain to the wood spirit's tree. Alluka started talking and laughing and dancing around in a circle.

Killua turned to see Canary staring out to the horizon. The waves were choppy and probably hazardous to be sailing on right now. "What do you see?"

Canary didn't answer at first, just kept scanning the horizon. "I don't know. Nothing right now, but I feel like something but is going to happen soon. Something bad."

"Brother, pet me." Alluka ordered. She had turned away from the tree and was looking determined. Killua did. He fulfilled her other two requests and watched as Nanika appeared.

"Killua!" Nanika rushed forward and hugged Killua.

"Hello Nanika." Killua pulled back and knelt to the ground. "Are you helping Alluka get better control?"

"Yes."

"Good girl." Killua pet her hair, like he had just done with Alluka. "Nanika, I want to see and talk to Alluka's friend."

The words that came from Nanika next were new, to say the least. No one had ever heard her say them, and Killua and Canary didn't even think it was possible. "No, Killua."

Killua and Canary shared a look. "Why not Nanika?" Killua asked.

"Can't interfere with another magic being. He has to let you see him." Nanika explained. Canary was expecting her to say it was because Killua was the last person to make a wish, even though she knew that rule didn't apply to Killua.

"Killua." Canary warned. She didn't know what she was warning against, but she knew Killua had to be careful.

"I know." Killua said lowly. "Nanika, make Canary a flower crown." A ring of dandelions and periwinkles formed on Canary's head, and Nanika went back to sleep.

Alluka started shivering not long after so Killua put her on Canary's back and the two of them went back to Mito's house. Killua stayed where he was, watching the sky as lightning flashed. Nanika has never said no, to anyone, and especially not Killua. He might not have been the one to make certain wishes, but when the wish involved other magicals, she's never had a problem. She always said yes.

Part of Killua was thrilled, Nanika was learning how to say no. It was something he wanted her to learn before Alluka was grown and didn't want to be protected by Killua and Canary anymore.

But a larger part of him was worried. Nanika has never argued against a wish, no matter how morally skewed it was. Why out of all the wishes she's granted, why did she say no to this one?

Killua looked up to the tree. He watched as a leaf fell from its branch and landed in his hair. It made him smile. It was like the spirit was telling him no to think to hard about it. "If Nanika was right, then why can't I see you? Alluka said that you wanted me to see you." Rain poured into Killua's eyes as a reply. "I'll be back tomorrow."

The wind blew against the back of his neck when he turned away. It was like it was whispering to him to turn around. So he did.

Sitting at the base of the growing tree was a boy. He looked to be the same age as Killua. His hair was standing up and he was smiling up at Killua with wide brown eyes. Freckles covered every square inch of visible skin, disappearing under his green shorts and white tank top.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Gon." The boys smile only grew. "You can see me now." He laughed, "I'm glad."

Killua was shocked. None of this made sense to him. "Yeah." Killua was half turned to Gon's tree. He wanted to stay and talk, ask questions, try and understand what was happening, but the rain was still coming down and he was getting cold. "It's nice to finally meet you, but,"

"I understand. I'll see you tomorrow Killua." Gon's smile never left his face.

Killua stuffed his hands into his pockets as he made his way back to Mito's house. His head was full of static. Everything was changing too much, too fast. He walked through the house, not seeing anyone, and went straight to his room.

He didn't even know what was running through his head. He couldn't stop seeing those bright brown eyes. Even without the sun, they reflected all the light around them, making it his own. He was beautiful... objectively speaking.

The rain didn't stop over the next few days. Canary got a cold and Alluka was determined to help her get better, so Killua ended up visiting Gon by himself every day.

Even though it was constantly raining, Gon was fun. He didn't stop to think about what he said, he asked whatever came to his head. He had instincts as good as Killua, just not as honed. Gon said they were just feelings.

Killua learned that Gon had powers, but had a lot of trouble controlling them, or what they all were. Him and Alluka were on the same page there; that was one of the reasons they bonded so quickly.

There was finally a break in the storm and Gon was leading Killua around the woods. "I can see Nanika." He said out of the blue.

"What do you mean?"

"I can see Nanika as a separate being. She looks like a ghost hovering next to Alluka. While you were gone and Alluka would visit, I'd talk to both of them. Nanika is nice. She helped me like you did. She helped me convince Alluka and Canary to go inside on the bad days." Gon walked on a fallen tree, his arms out to balance himself.

"The bad days?" Killua walked on the ground next to him.

Gon's smile left his face, he became unreadable. He didn't say anything, just kept walking.

Killua sighed and let it go for now. If Gon didn't want to say anything, he wouldn't push it. He didn't want to accidentally push him away. Killua liked Gon, he was the first friend he ever made by himself.

The rain started again and Killua could hear Mito calling for him. They moved closer to the house and he didn't notice. "I'll see you tomorrow, Gon."

"Tomorrow's gonna be a bad day. I can't stop you from coming out, but please stay hidden." Gon looked at him. Killua didn't like the look he saw on Gon's face. He didn't like not being able to read the spirit.

"Fine." Killua ran back to the house and saw Mito waiting for him on the porch.

"Is everything okay, Killua?" She asked, sounding mildly concerned.

Killua took a second to let himself relax. He had been scowling and clenching his hands in a fist and hadn't even realized. He didn't know what was bothering him that much. "I'm fine, Aunt Mito." Killua tensed again as soon as the words left his mouth. He hadn't meant to say that. Alluka had started calling her _Aunt Mito_ as soon as she said they could stay till they figured things out. Canary let it slip a few days ago, while Alluka was sleeping and Mito took over caring for her.

He looked up to see how she was reacting to being called that by him and was shocked to see the tears forming in her eyes. Mito pulled him into a hug and Killua would be lying if he said he didn't get choked up too.

Killua couldn't sleep that night, but he promised Gon he would stay out of sight. So rather than running through the woods when he couldn't sleep, Killua opened his window and sat in the windowsill.

He was too far to see anything, and it was too dark for that anyway, the rain had stopped but there were still too many clouds. Killua let his eyes shut and he focused on hearing anything strange.

The night sounded peaceful. All the nocturnal animals had spent the last few nights mostly hidden away from the rain, so they were all out and living. Killua could hear them all. He even heard some noises that he'd never heard before, coming to the conclusion that they came from animals indigenous to Whale Island.

A cool breeze blew through the room, making Killua shiver. He could handle extreme temperatures, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. Killua went to his bag and grabbed his hoodie. He put it on and pulled the hood over his fluffy hair.

He sat back on his perch and felt the weight of Gon's stare. It made him relax.

The clouds started to disperse as the sun started to rise, making the morning seem grey and muted. Killua wanted to go see Gon, but he stayed where he was sitting.

As the morning wore on, Killua felt a dangerous and somewhat familiar aura approach the island on the incoming ship. Killua watched as the passengers got off, his eyes immediately finding bright pink hair. _The man from the day I left._

Killua was downstairs and putting on his shoes before he could process it. He told Alluka it was a bad day and to stay inside.

"Why are you going out then, Brother?" She yawned and rubbed her eye, she was still trying to wake up.

"Because I want to make sure Gon is okay." Killua kissed the top of her head and ran out the door.

He was still wearing his hoodie as he stuck to the shadows and stayed hidden behind trees. The closer he got to Gon's tree, the stronger this foreboding feeling got.

Every instinct told Killua to stop and go the other way, to get away from the fight he wouldn't be able to win. He stopped moving and found a good spot to sit and observe.

The man was dressed as a clown and he put Killua on edge. What the hell was he doing on Whale Island, and why did he seem to be so interested in Gon?

Killua watched as the man sat and stared at Gon's tree with a disturbing expression. He stayed there all say, his eyes never once leaving the sapling. Gon was nowhere to be found. The man sat through the night and only moved when the ship at the dock was loading and preparing to set sail once again.

Killua didn't move a muscle as the man stood and sauntered back down the mountain. Killua didn't take his eyes off the ship till it looked like a toy boat in a bath. He turned back to the sapling and jumped down from his perch. "Gon?"

He watched as Gon emerged from the tree. He looked like he was going to be sick. He was pale and his hands were shaking a little. Gon wouldn't look at Killua.

"Who was that? Do you know what he wants?" Killua had more questions, but he figured those were safe enough to start with.

"He comes here every few days. He says he's waiting for me to _mature._ " Gon tried shaking his hands out to get rid of his jitters. It didn't work. "He can see me, Killua. He can see me and the way he looks at me makes me feel like I'm gonna throw up."

Gon's eyes were distant, they weren't shining anymore. Killua didn't like it. He tried to think of a way to cheer him up but couldn't think of anything.

Luckily, Alluka came running towards them laughing. She was holding a bouquet of flowers. Alluka started talking to Gon about the book she was learning to read, occasionally stopping. When she paused, Killua saw Gon look to the space next to his sister. And as soon as Alluka would start talking again, the spirit looked back at her.

Alluka's pauses weren't actually pauses, it was Nanika speaking.

Killua smiled. He would never understand how his sister always managed to make everyone feel better without even trying. And he was okay with that.

The three of them sat and Alluka made them all crowns from the flowers she brought with her. The only time the conversation seemed to lull was when Alluka and Gon paused to listen to Nanika.

Aunt Mito had to call them for them to come back to the house. None of them wanted to leave Gon alone. Especially not Killua, especially not after what he witnessed the night before.

It put Killua on edge to think about. Several times during the day, Gon grabbed his hand, pulling him back to their present conversation, even though he didn't contribute very much. That man had looked at Gon's tree with greed, but that was only a small part of the expression he had. Killua wasn't able to read the rest of the look, and he didn't really want to. All he needed to know was that the man was a danger to Gon.

Every night as Killua was getting ready for bed, he would check his phone to see if his father had sent him a contract. He always breathed a sigh of relief when he found his inbox empty.

Tonight however, he had a single notification. Killua frowned at his phone. He didn't want to leave the island again, not now that he knew someone dangerous came every few days. But he had to uphold his end of the deal, otherwise Illumi would bring them all back to Kukuroo mountain and he wouldn't be allowed to play the game again.

Killua opened the information packet and froze.

This wasn't his usual kill order. It was a kidnap. The target was somewhere on Whale Island. But they weren't a person. Killua was supposed to uproot a tree and keep it alive as he brought it to Yorknew City.

He read through the rest of the information and all the particulars and details of the job at least four times before it hit him.

His hand started shaking so badly his phone slipped from his hand.

Killua couldn't believe it. He had to _kidnap_ Gon.

It was wrong on so many levels for Killua. He saw no problem with killing people because their families knew they were dead and not maybe out there in pain. If the target was killed, they didn't feel extended lengths of fear; the initial spike of when they knew they were dying, then the peace that came after death. Killua knew what the target was going to feel, see, do, when he would /visit them. He didn't need to worry about what would happen after.

But this was different.

And this was _Gon_.

Gon was his friend. Or something like a friend. Killua couldn't do anything that would maybe put Gon in danger or cause him pain.

Killua stopped, realizing he was pacing his room. Now was not the time to be freaking out and panicking. He still had time to think about what he should do.

Because there was _no way_ he was actually going to deliver Gon to that perverted clown.

Killua closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn't even late yet, so he had at least until tomorrow morning to think of something to do.

The first thing he needed to do was tell Gon. Killua wouldn't do anything without speaking to him and getting his thoughts.

He took a deep breath and calmly made his way to Gon. "Hey, are you still up?" Killua whispered as he approached. If the spirit was sleeping, he could wait till morning as he thought of possible solutions.

"Yeah, I am." Gon's voice was low. He was sitting against a tree a few feet away.

"What are you doing up?" Killua couldn't help but ask. It was almost midnight and from what Killua had learned from Gon, he played hard during the day then crashed when the sun set.

"I had a feelin you'd come by." He smiled up at Killua but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I got another job." Killua hesitated. He didn't want Gon to get involved with his family work. He didn't want Gon to stop being his friend because of something he didn't want to be apart of. "That creep that comes here hired my family to take you to him. My father gave me the contract."

Gon waited. He knew there was more that Killua wasn't saying but if he didn't want to explain it all, Gon wouldn't ask him to.

Killua sat in front of Gon and looked at the ground between them. "I don't want to take the job, but if I don't, then not only will someone else, but me, Canary and Alluka will have to go back there. I can't let that happen. Any of it." Killua didn't cry. He wanted to, and voice shook, but he didn't cry. "I can't let anything happen to the girls and I /can't do anything to put you in danger. But if I don't it'll only be so much worse for everyone."

"Hey, Killua." Gon waited until Killua looked up. He still didn't meet Gon's eye, but it was better. "You're really amazing, you know?"

"Idiot, that's embarrassing. Don't say things like that." Killua looked away again, trying to hide the fact that blood was rushing to his cheeks.

"Why not? It's true." Gon smiled; a real one this time. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Gon spoke again. "What can we do?"

Killua looked up and felt helpless. He didn't know. There wasn't enough time to think of anything. "I'm not sure." He thought back to the details of the contract. In terms of where to find Gon's tree, there were only coordinates, but that only got him to the area. And there were lots of young trees in the forest. "We have a little bit of time. If I was actually gonna take it, I'd start in the morning, before taking at least a few days to get here. So we have a few days to think about what to do."

"Can I know why if you don't do the job you'll have to leave the island?" Knowing they had a few days made Gon feel a little better.

"I'm the best my family has. And they use Alluka for Nanika, keeping her locked in a room. Before we left, it had been years since she was outside. If I fail or don't follow through, we'll be taken back and I wouldn't be able to get us out again. We can't go back there."

They fell into silence again. Killua was trying to think about what he should try and do to get out of it but he was distracted. Objectively, he knew why Gon's praise affected him so much, he'd never been praised like that before. His father would tell him he did good on a job but that was the extent of compliments he got. But why would this one bother him so much?

"I'll be right back." Killua stood abruptly and left Gon where he was sitting before he could say anything. He needed to move and try to clear his mind.

As he ran, he could feel the easy weight of Gon's eyes. It helped his mind empty, surprisingly.

Killua made his way back to Gon just after midnight. His head was clear and he had thought of a way to maybe buy both of them some time _and_ maybe get someone to break Sylva's end of the contract.

"You're lucky your here." Killua said as he approached Gon, still sitting in the same place he was when Killua left.

"What do you mean?"

"You're on an island in the middle of the ocean, your tree is in the middle of a forest. The only way to get to the island is by boat and only someone with magic can see you to find you, with the exception of a few drunks." Killua sat next to Gon. "If I was staying somewhere else, it'd take me at least a few days to get here. And since it's obvious I don't have enough magic to see you on my own, it stands to reason that I'll look for a while, going over every inch of the island looking for you. Then when I can't find you, I'll try to find someone who can see you on their own, which will also take a while because no one on this island can see you either. While I'm away, Canary will keep an eye out for anyone that would be with my family. Because once I don't deliver you, they'll want to know why and send someone to check on me." That last bit was a gamble, but so was proposing the game in the first place. And Killua felt lucky. He had a good feeling that it would work.

"Okay." Gon agreed, taking Killua by surprise. He expected questions, doubt about whether it would actually work. Not this trust.

Killua looked away, feeling his face warm. He didn't get how Gon trusted him so easily. But knowing they had a plan now made him feel better. "While this is all going on, Alluka won't be allowed to go too far from the house, and the forest is definitely out of bounds."

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't have self control yet. If she sees you, she'll smile and wave. And if someone is watching her, then they'll see and report back. It could screw everything up and you'll be taken away." Killua cut himself off. He almost said _taken away from me_.

"Okay." Again Gon didn't question him.

Killua stayed with Gon until the sun started to rise. The spirit fell asleep a little after they finished talking about their plan. As the sun was rising, Killua slowly made his way back to the house. Alluka wasn't going to like not being able to see Gon. But Killua trusted Canary to help keep Alluka near the house. His sister listened to Canary and once she knew what was at stake, she'd do as they said.

He opened the door and was surprised to see Mito waiting for him again. "Is everything okay Killua?" She asked, watching as he walked and sat down next to her.

The truth was he was scared. He didn't want to loose Gon. He was scared that their plan wouldn't work and Killua would loose everything he had. "No." He didn't elaborate. Mito didn't ask him to.

Mito wrapped her arms around his shoulders and they sat like that until everyone woke up.

The next two days was spent explaining and convincing everyone of his plan. Killua didn't dare go back to Gon; he couldn't risk it.

He couldn't risk anything now that everything was once again on the line.

When everything was set and in order, Killua found a place he knew he wouldn't be interrupted or judged. He wasn't religious and he didn't believe in the gods, but they needed all the help they could get for this to work. So he prayed to anyone who might be listening for even just a little bit of luck.

Enough time had passed for Killua to have gotten to the island and do a once over for Gon so he told Canary to keep her eyes open and boarded a boat heading for Dole Harbor. To everyone else it would seem like he was looking for someone who could use and see magic.

Killua was a week in and three towns over before he finally found someone who agreed to help him. He knew that she was only doing it for the money he offered and said that she would be charging him extra by the day if they weren't done looking two days after they get to Whale Island. Killua could live with that.

The two of them got back to the island without incident and the woman wanted to get to work immediately. Killua thought it was funny that someone who would be charging for extra hours was eager to get the job done. "When I got here, I asked around and some drunks said they saw a boy walking around the forest. I'll show you where."

Killua led her to the furthest part of the forest away from where Gon was. The spirit promised to stay as close to his tree as he could.

Four days later the woman said she found him. Killua paid her and she left, not caring about the why of any of it. He was glad for that. By then, a month had passed since he got the job. Enough time for someone back at the estate to be concerned if he was actually doing his job.

"Killua." Canary said, gently and subtly hiding Alluka behind her.

He could feel it too. The weight of someone watching them, too heavy to be someone just looking around. "Yeah, I feel it. Take Alluka back home. I got it."

It wasn't hard to locate him. Kalluto wasn't trying very hard to stay hidden. Killua found him sitting on a wall by the docks. He didn't turn to look at Killua when he approached. "I'm jealous of you."

"Why?" Killua sat on the wall next to him and watched the people walk through the market.

"You got out." He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"You could to if you tried hard enough." Guilt wormed its way into Killua's stomach. Kalluto was good, he didn't enjoy what he did but he didn't hate it either. If he thought he could have gotten away with it, and Kalluto wanted to, Killua would have included him in the contract.

"No I can't. Not any more. The fact that mother sent me to check on you gave you your freedom. Father isn't going to risk losing anyone else." Kalluto looked at his feet and started swinging them, his ankles hitting the bricks beneath them.

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are, but you don't need to worry about it."

The two of them sat there for a while longer. "Do you want to come to where we're staying? There aren't many places to stay in town and there aren't anymore ships leaving today."

Kalluto nodded and Killua led him to Mito's house. Aunt Mito looked sad when Killua introduced Kalluto but she didn't say anything. Alluka ran and greeted them when they were walking up, Kalluto looked surprised at the affection he got. The two of them were never particularly close, but when asked, Alluka said that she knew secrets. She didn't explain anymore as she ran off.

The next day, everyone walked with Kalluto to the dock.

"You're welcome to visit any time, okay?" Aunt Mito said when she knelt down to give Kalluto a hug.

He nodded and said goodbye to everyone else. When he was saying goodbye to Killua he paused. "I'm gonna miss you."

"If you're ever in the area, or manage to score a vacation, stop by. I'll see you around." Again Kalluto nodded and then walked away.

"We won't see Kalluto for a long time." Alluka said in an eerily serious tone. They all new not to ask her what she meant or how she knew.

The walked around the market, helped Mito carry the groceries she got back to the house. When all the food was away, Killua went to go see Gon.

He felt the warm fluttering start up whenever he started thinking about the spirit. Killua knew what it meant, knew what the feelings were, but he wanted to ignore it for now, just have a friend that he didn't need to worry about things and could just enjoy being around him.

"Killua!" Gon shouted and waved.

Killua smiled and his steps quickened. "It worked. We're finally free. Though, that creepy clown probably won't give up on getting you."

"I'm not worried about it. I have you here with me." The spirit's smile got wider and his eyes closed with the force of it. Killua's face turned bright red, but no one acknowledged it. Gon started babbling on about what happened in the time he didn't have any visitors, Killua just sat next to him and watched him talk with a smile.

The sun was setting and Gon was almost finished catching Killua up when he suddenly stopped mid-word. "What's wrong?"

"Some...someone bad is here. Someone new. For Alluka. Killua, she's in danger." Killua was tensed when Gon started speaking and was running for his home before he was done.

He saw Canary knocked out and cradled in Mito's arms when he approached the house. Aunt Mito looked up and tears started falling. "They took her. They came out of nowhere and just grabbed her. She didn't fight them or anything, told me to take care of Canary. They laughed and dragged her to the docks." She managed to stutter out.

Killua took off down the hill towards the port. Blood was rushing in his ears and he could feel his heart racing. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other faster and faster so he wouldn't drown in the panic.

All the shops and stalls were closed and empty. The place that was usually teeming with life was bare and unsettling. In the water was a private speedboat, but it was empty. Killua took a breath and focused on the sounds around him, because there was a very small chance that he had beaten them here, head start or not.

Killua heard foot steps further up the road, near the edge of the forest and going deeper. He followed the sound and was growing more confused by the second.

That confusion grew when he saw Alluka standing alone. "Alluka!"

"Brother!" She smiled and waved like nothing was wrong.

"What happened? Where are the people that took you?" Killua gently grabbed her hands and looked over her for any injuries.

"Nanika said that Gon wanted to play with them, so we gave them to him. They're gonna look so pretty in green and red." She smiled sweetly. It was bordering unsettling. She really would be terrifying once she got a solid handle on her powers and Nanika.

"Alluka, I need you to go back to Aunt Mito, okay? Help her with Canary and tell them I'll be back soon."

"'Kay!" She skipped off up the hill, like she hadn't almost been kidnapped.

Killua turned and made his way back to Gon's tree. The spirit was sitting against the trunk glaring at two kneeling in front of him. They weren't bound but they stayed where they were looking terrified.

"Why did you try to take my sister?" Killua growled, standing next to Gon, who didn't take his eyes off them.

"Do you know how powerful she is?" The smaller of the two said. "A friend of ours helped you and she said she almost tripped because of how powerful that little girl is. She said she couldn't come back but if we got her, she'd let us use the girls power whenever we needed."

Gon was still as a stone, one knee raised, one arm resting on it, glaring from where his face was half hidden. Killua felt the spirit's anger rise and didn't want to see what would happen.

"Then the little witch did something and we were suddenly walking here."

"Don't call her that." Gon whispered. Killua didn't know if the two heard him, but his voice was laced with rage. He was getting closer and closer to losing his temper by the second.

A chilling feeling ran down Killua's spine. Gon wasn't supposed to be dark and scary, that's what Killua was for. No matter how much he appreciated Gon's protectiveness, he shouldn't need to be the one to deal with this.

Killua stepped in front of Gon, cutting off his line of sight. "You two are going to get back on your boat, and never come back. You will never speak of this island or my sisters powers. Am I understood? If you to come back or tell, you both will be dead within twenty-four hours. Go." Killua let all his training from the compound seep into his stance and voice. He wanted these two men scared. And by the looks on their faces, he succeeded. They scrambled to their feet and started running away. Mumbling their promises.

The assassin turned and knelt to Gon's level. His expression was still dark. Killua gently grabbed the arm that was resting on his knee, and put his other hand on Gon's cheek. "What's going through your head?" He muttered.

Slowly, so slowly, Gon relaxed and sat back. "They were lying, you know."

"About what?"

"Staying away and keeping quiet." He looked like he was trying to hear something far away. His head tilted and he didn't move, he barely breathed. "They're not leaving. They're doubling back to your house. Hold on, let me get them."

Gon moved so he was sitting on his knees, he dug his fingers into the ground and concentrated. Killua felt the ground rumbling and in the distance he heard shouting. Neither of them said anything as the rumbling got closer.

By the time the two kidnappers were in sight their skin was covered in red splotches that were spreading, wrapped in vines. "You didn't even get off the island before trying to get my sister."

"Hey, come on! Get this stuff off us! It itches."

"It should. It's poison ivy." Gon said conversationally. He didn't look like was going to kill anymore, but his voice was still strained.

Killua wanted to take a moment to be amazed at Gon's deceptive power, but he needed to focus on the two in front of him. "Don't worry, though. It'll stop itching soon." Faster than anyone could see, Killua was standing behind the shorter man, snapping his neck. The bigger man started blubbering an apology, swearing he would forget about all of this but was cut short when his neck was snapped too.

When they were both lying dead on the ground, Gon let out a sigh of relief. The sun was gone and there wasn't much light to see by, but Killua could still see Gon relax. "I was really hoping I wouldn't need to do that. Makes me so tired. I wanted to talk to you."

"You were amazing, Gon. And thank you for helping me protect Alluka and Nanika. Get some sleep, we can talk in the morning."

"'Kay." Gon curled up and was out almost instantly.

Killua smiled before dragging the two bodies down to the docks. He put them in their boat and started the engine, locking the steering so it was headed away from the island.

When Killua went back to Gon's tree, Alluka was sitting there with Gon's head in her lap. She smiled up at him and it was impossible for him not to smile back. "You two are my heroes. Thank you." She looked back down to Gon and ran her fingers through his hair. "He wanted to tell you a secret tonight. I'm sorry that I had to interrupt that."

"It wasn't your fault. And I think I know what he was going to say, anyway. Did he tell you?" Killua sat down next to his sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"He did. But you can't trick me into telling you what it is."

"Wasn't trying to. I feel the same way about him." Alluka let her head fall onto Killua's shoulder as he spoke. "Get some sleep."

It took a while for Alluka to fall asleep, it almost seemed like she was having a debate with herself. But she eventually did close her eyes.

Only for them to open again, but they were black instead of blue. "Hello, Nanika. When did you learn to do that?"

"It's so much easier to learn and teach in an open environment. I didn't want to come out tonight, but Alluka didn't want you to be alone."

Killua huffed, his sister was too wise for her own good. "Thank you for letting her convince you. And thank you for helping keep her safe today."

"As much as I appreciate the faith, Killua, all I did today was tell her that they had ill intentions. Everything else was with her own power."

"Neither of you ever make much sense."

Nanika giggled. "Oh, the adventures the four of us will have. Goodnight, Killua."

"Sleep well, Nanika." Killua pressed a kiss into her hair and held her a little closer.

He was so happy as the moon slowly made its way across the sky. He knew Nanika was right about the adventures of their future, they would be so much fun. With his little sister and her other half and their unexplainable magic. With the wood spirit Killua was fairly certain was the love of his life. An awkward little family he found by accident.

They would all be just fine as long as they stuck together.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all liked it. I love hearing what everyone has to say.
> 
> Please be kind and know I didn't like it either.


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